Rosenstein Pavilion: Design and structural analysis of a functionally graded concrete shell

Abstract The paper describes the process of design and structural analysis of the Rosenstein Pavilion, a functionally graded concrete shell designed and built for an exhibition on construction bionics in Stuttgart. The concept of the pavilion is based on a research project that explored the limits of material savings in building construction by implementing biomimetic optimisation strategies. Characteristic for the load-bearing tissues of living organisms, the principle of functional gradation was used to improve the structural efficiency of the pavilion by distributing material in accordance to a dominant stress state. As a result, the weight of the structure was reduced by 40% without decreasing its load-bearing capacity. This paper focuses on a description of the design process, in which material and production characteristics were embedded into a computational design environment and transformed into the geometric and structural properties of the pavilion. In parallel, a series of structural analyses have been conducted to validate design assumptions. The presented design approach demonstrates the potential for integrating the principles of structural optimisation into the process of architectural design for stimulating the joint work of the project team in developing integrated resource efficient solutions for the built environment.